College freshman and romance book reviewer Irene Park enters a love-by-trope competition with her online rival, Aiden Jeon. But when their rivalry turns into fake dating, Irene starts to question everything she thought she knew about love, books, and herself.

I loved Susan’s other books so I was looking forward to reading this one. Overall, I had mixed feelings. The plot was cute and intriguing, and the different tropes for each chapter made it fun to follow. I appreciated how Susan captured both the excitement and challenges of starting college for the first time which it definitely felt relatable. Aiden was sweet, but I wished we had more of his perspective especially when it came to his strained relationship with his family. Irene’s insecurities and her pressure to always do her best were easy to relate to though her narration felt a bit overwhelming at times. The pacing was inconsistent. However, I really enjoyed Jeanette and Charles who added energy to the story. Aiden’s Omega Universe storyline felt a little out of left field and I expected more buildup for that subplot. There were a few loose ends I thought would be resolved, but they weren’t. Still, it was a light and entertaining read.

3.25 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This was a cute YA coming-of-age-esque story between online rival romance book reviewers who suddenly find themselves paired-up in the same college literature class.

Things I loved: Aiden being an absolute cinnamon roll, the emphasis on the romance genre in literature (and SO many book tropes!), the Korean representation, and the friendships. Things I didn't love: read slightly younger than I prefer for YA (including some gen z refrences) and one "spice" scene that felt a little out of place for me personally.

Overall, it was a fast-paced young adult romance with a fun premise. Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was 100% not for me. it was so full of pop culture references but done in the cringiest way possible with the use of meta language to top it off.
The plot has to be non-existent at this point because not ONE MOMENT even showed Irene and Aiden even falling in love. It was so frustrating to see it cut off right before they even show their relationship progress, so you had to rely on a lot of telling from the author and no showing at all. Also, there were so many out of pocket quips in the book it took out the reading experience. Genuinely there is no reason for an omegaverse fanfiction to be inserted there. And also, Irene as a main character was quite insufferable. She was acting so quirky it hurt to read and Aiden in general was also not it.

Also, as a book reviewer, I want to say that the plot made no sense for me as someone in this space. If another creator were to comment under my videos being snarky half the time and their followers would also troll me afterwards? I'd block them so fast there is no chance for even a romance to be budding. If you're someone that enjoys a silly read and don't mind the super frequent pop culture references then sure, I'd say this book is for you but personally it did not do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I knew I had to grab this book when I read the blurb, and I am so glad I did. The main characters in The Romance Rivalry are both popular book reviewers online, and if you could not guess based on the title, they have a bit of a rivalry. Irene goes to college and imagine her surprise when she bumps into her online rival, Aiden. They are at the same college, the same class, and even wind up partnered together on a major project.

If schoolwork was not enough, they start a competition to see how many dates each can have with other people that fit different romance tropes. Sparks are flying though and this enemies to lovers might just have someone falling. The plot had me hooked and I loved the evolution the characters went through. As expected from a romance book reviewer we do get a few name drops throughout the story and I loved that Black Dagger Brotherhood was mentioned a few times. Overall, this was a wonderful college romance with a dash of enemies to lovers.

I loved this book. It wasnt an insta love kind of thing. It was a cute build up that kept me invested to see what little quirky incident would happen next

The Romance Rivalry is a love letter to romance readers that explores relationships through popular tropes. We’ve all read books packed full of tropes but this is the first one I’ve read where the main character tries to find love by utilising tropes. The competition was so fun and I’m honestly amazed both Irene and Aiden managed to get so many different dates.

My favourite part of The Romance Rivalry was how each chapter was named after a different trope and this was foreshadowing what would go down in the chapter. My favourites were ‘fake dating’ (obvs) and ‘there’s only one bed’. Which just so happen to be two of my favourite tropes. You can probably guess what happens in those and trust me, it’s wonderful.

The short reviews from both Irene and Aiden before each chapter were really fun. You slowly see them start to share opinions the further you get into the book. They’re notorious for having conflicting thoughts on books, but as they spend more time together, getting closer, they start to write similar reviews. This is a fairly subtle change but one I really appreciated.

It’s so refreshing to read a romance book with a male main character that celebrates the genre. Aiden’s reason for loving romance books is also so incredibly sweet, but I can’t comment more on it without giving spoilers.

Another thing that’s refreshing about The Romance Rivalry is the main characters being online book reviewers. There are a million romance books about writers so reading a book that’s told from a perspective I can relate to (being a reviewer) was really nice. It actually made me want to post video reviews but then I remember I do not have the confidence (or time) for that, so that dream died very quickly.

It was also great to not have the author make a dig at people who give books low scores or find flaws in what they read. Just having Irene and Aiden have opposing views on books was nice to see. You don’t have to love everything you read just because an author has put a lot of time into it. I did love The Romance Rivalry though.

Irene was an interesting main character but she did make a lot of poor decisions. At times I didn’t know whether to feel pity for her or second hand embarrassment. The assignment situation really frustrated me, she could be really self absorbed at times but she does learn from these mistakes so I liked her in the end. I loved Aiden the entire time.

I’d highly recommend The Romance Rivalry if you’re looking for a fun, tropey romance. It’s a real celebration of romance readers and the chemistry between the main characters is great.

The Romance Rivalry is a sweet YA romcom that follows two online book reviewers who meet in collage and decide to use their favorite tropes to guide their dating lives. Susan Lee lovingly portrays the people pleasing, middle child protagonist as she tries to balance her love of romance novels and the sponsorships that come with her social media following against the pressures of college and expectations of her family. This book has a little of everything romance readers love while keeping the story brisk, along with the perfect MMC: a cinnamon roll aspiring writer who loves Austen and contemporary romance.

Thanks, Harper Collins, for the arc!

I finished reading THE ROMANCE RIVALRY in February and have been thinking about it ever since! Susan Lee writes the best YA romances, which always leave me wanting to be BFFs with the MCs. Like every other Susan Lee book, the MCs Irene and Aiden have fantastic banter and chemistry. It's a truly well-done rivals-to-lovers book.

They aren't just regular rivals but romance book reviewers and rivals-to-lovers!! Plus, the book covers all the tropes. It's like handing in the ticket to TropeFest2025, stopping at every booth, and going home with the tshirt. I would proudly wear that t-shirt because of my love for tropes, so I adored this book and its abundant use as plot devices. It was clever and entertaining to see Irene and Aiden take them on, bringing me to my next point...

I love Irene and Aiden, but I really love Irene, Aiden, Jeanette, and Charles. Ooo, another tshirt request: a tshirt with their block-letter names! I would read a whole book with them texting in the group chat and hanging out together. They were the best accidental friend group, bringing me so much joy while reading the novel, and now, as I think back on it!

If you are in the bookish community, you'll enjoy this book. It will make you smile! Then come talk to me about the preciousness that is Aiden 😍

A cute romance that dives into the different tropes of romance books. It was a little meta for me since the book was a romance about romances, but it was a fast paced read with all the hallmarks of, you guessed it, a romance! Irene is a romance book reviewer, and she and her rival, Aiden, end up going to the same small college. After being paired up for the semester in their literature class, they decide to start a competition of who can go on the most romance trope style dates in order to fall in love. I'm sure you can see where this is going? Obviously, as anyone who's ever read a romance would guess, they fall for each other. There are some instances of push back on Irene's part, because she is reluctant to believe Aidan actually likes her, and isn't using her for other purposes. But in the end, both character's get their happily ever after with each other. It's a pretty straight forward book, and I kind of wish there had been more twists involved, but it was enjoyable overall.

really effective romance book with some good ideas and fun themes. the one big problem was (spoilers ahead) the fic the MMC writes. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I love Susan Lee! I was so excited to get my hands on this book, and this cover is to die for.

THE ROMANCE RIVALRY follows popular romance reviewer Irene park, who's own romantic life is...non-existent. As she starts college, she's determined to employ her expertise of romance tropes to find her own HEA -- and score a big brand deal. But soon she finds she's competing for the deal with reviewer rival and nemesis Aiden Jeon, and the two battle to be the first to find love-by-trope. This journey leads Irene on a path to becoming the main character of her own story.

I think this is a timely and fun YA, and will appeal to many seasoned YA romance readers. And the genre is really improved by having Susan's stories. This unfortunately wasn't my favorite read, and the voice wasn't totally working for me. I appreciate the nods to romance, but this felt a little overdone and too meta for me. It felt a bit suffocating at times and I found myself getting bored. I wasn't totally invested in the romance between Irene and Aiden, but perhaps that was more a me problem?

Not a favorite, but will always be a fan of Susan and her work.


Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

If you're a fan of the "rivals to lovers" trope, then this story is an absolute gem, especially when the rivals happen to be romance book reviewers! It perfectly captures all the delightful elements we love in easy-to-read love stories. The unique twist of dating by trope adds a fresh spin that I haven't come across before, making it even more captivating.

I found the main characters to be refreshingly relatable and realistic, allowing me to truly connect with their journeys. However, I couldn't help but wish for a dual point of view—imagine diving into the thoughts and feelings of our charming male lead!

Overall, this book is a delightful escape and a sweet read that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone in search of a quick, enjoyable romance. You won't want to miss it!

I was so very excited to get approved for this book! Susan’s books are quickly climbing up my favorites list so opened it the book the minute the email approval came through. I got about 2 chapters in before I was sadly bored. I did not feel any sort of connection with Irene and our new cast. I picked it back up again and when the exchanges between her and Aiden IRL happened I was hooked…. Until I wasn’t.
Do not misunderstand – Aiden is ADORBALE and perfect (while still being flawed) but I felt like this was the first of Susan’s books I could not separate her cover art inspo from the book character. It felt like this was the first one where his looks were referenced a lot and every time I internally yelled “Soobin!” and then, like whiplash, thought “Soobin would never…”. It took me out of the story many times.
I also think that both of them had moments where they went from 0 to 60 or hot to cold with their emotions that felt a bit much. They both had deep seated insecurities (feel ya on the not feeling loveable Irene!#strugglebus) and worked to overcome them. There were also some moments that made me kick my feet and squeal at the cuteness: “Why are you being nice to me?” I whisper. “You haven’t figured it out yet?” he asks, still holding my gaze. Yet there were also times when Aiden was screaming at Taejin (again) about possibly hurting Irene that I was like “we love a protector but bro chill”.
I hate to say that I struggled so much with this book cause I had very high hopes and those DAMN INTERLOCKING PINKIES ON THE COVER *uwu* but I am also aware some of my enjoyment was taken by my own mind and it playing tricks on me. Still a solid 3 star for me.

Genre 📚: YA/NA Contemporary, Romance
Tropes 💁‍♀️: Literally all the tropes (Main ones being Rivals to lovers, Fake dating)
Rep ✔️: Korean American main characters
CW ⚠️: Anxiety
Rating ⭐️: 4/5

Anytime a book has fun with clichés in a meta way, it’s an instant not-so-guilty pleasure for me. I loved I Believe in a Thing Called Love (K-drama tropes) and Better Than the Movies (movie tropes), so I was happy to keep the trope train going with The Romance Rivalry. Here, FMC Irene is a popular romance book reviewer, and she feels threatened by an upcoming reviewer and his army of loyal followers. She hopes for a fresh start and a chance at her own HEA in college, but to her horror, her reviewer rival Aiden attends the same school.

When Aiden finds out about Irene’s plan to use romance tropes to fall in love, he proposes that they turn it into a competition and see who can find love first. From there, they go on a series of dates with people, working through every trope in the book: age-gap romance, secret identity romance, grumpy/sunshine, all of it. While this is happening, Irene and Aiden gradually go from rivals to friends to, you guessed it, lovers. The competition aspect kept the story exciting and fast-paced, made all the more cute with the couple’s cheerleader besties Jeanette and Charles.

Though the concept itself was strong, I would’ve liked more character depth. Irene had severe anxiety that I deeply related to, and Aiden had a rough relationship with his family, but beyond that, it was pretty surface level. Still, this was the perfect light read after having read several heavy books. And a true love letter to the romance genre.

I enjoyed this book but at some points it felt a little rushed.
I'll start off by saying I really liked Aiden's character and complexity of his personal life. Irene's felt a little less relatable with her siblings. I wished the book focused a little more on them going on dates and the challenges. It felt a bit rushed towards the middle/end where it talks about Irene and her standing in class and the conflict of her parents. Understandably this was also about being accepted by her family.
I loved all the pop culture references like BTS, other books, the mention of Korean stores, etc. The playfulness and jealousy from Aiden was my favorite parts of the book. A "he fell first" moment is always good.

Thank you for this ARC!

3.5.

This was a fun read overall, especially with the main character being a book reviewer but I have to be honest, Irene comes off as annoying for most of the book. She is obsessed with believing whatever strangers on the internet say and she builds impressions off it. She condemned Aiden to be her "nemesis" over what? Having different book opinions? When did that become a crime? Why is she blaming him for his followers' attacking her? No one controls that, but most of all when she confronted him for "using" her, again based on what? Strangers on the internet? How can you believe that over what you know is real, what you have experienced yourself?

I feel like for the length of the book, this took more time to read than expected but maybe this is because I don't feel like the plot was enough to carry a book. After a little, I got bored with the "a trope shoved in every chapter" thing.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much to @NetGalley, @harpercollins, and the wonderful @SusanLee for this ARC—I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read what is officially my favorite romance/YA book of the year!
The Romance Rivalry was one of those books I picked up and couldn’t put down. I flew through it because it was just that good—touching, fun, and the perfect light-hearted escape I didn’t know I needed. The character development? Chef’s kiss. The plot? Loved it. The chemistry and connections between characters? Absolutely adorable.
This book felt like a warm hug and a sweet laugh all at once. I genuinely think this would be the book to pull anyone out of a reading slump—it’s also a perfect palate cleanser between heavier reads. I gave it five stars, and honestly? I loved it so much; I pre-ordered a finished copy. It hits shelves May 13th, and you’re going to want it on yours!
Now yes, technically this is a YA romance, but as someone who doesn’t usually reach for YA, let me say: I am so glad I gave this one a shot. It was too cute not to read. Irene, our main girl? I saw so much of myself in her. From feeling unseen or unworthy at times, to struggling with school, balancing big dreams, and just trying to make your family proud—I felt her journey. And okay, I might be 34, working full-time and studying full-time (hello, chaos), but Irene’s story hit me in such a real way.
And honestly? I think a lot of bookstagrammers will feel the same. Irene’s goals, her creative passion, her insecurities, and even her hustle to make her dreams happen—it’s all so relatable. Susan Lee did such a beautiful job capturing things that speak directly to us as readers, creators, and everyday people just trying to figure it all out. Her story is a love letter to the kinds of things we all experience, and I adored that.
Then there’s Aiden. Sweet, charming, funny—basically perfect. Their relationship gave me all the giddy, fluttery feelings. And even the side characters were lovable and added so much depth and warmth. The family vibes, the personal growth, the romance—it had everything I wanted.
It also gave me major XO, Kitty vibes (yes, I devoured that show too), and if you love a good K-drama with heart, laughs, and all the feels—you’re going to eat this book up.
Whether you’re a YA regular or not, this one is worth your time. Sweet, funny, a little emotional in the best way—The Romance Rivalry is one I’ll be recommending to everyone.

Two bookish social media influencer rivals end up at the same college and create a romance trope dating competition for engagement. What a fun story!

Likes:
-The MCs were PERFECT for one another ^.^
-The MMC Aiden was 10/10, no notes personality wise
-The FMC's struggles were relatable
-The FMC was doing her social media thinggg, and I love her for that
-The side character BFFs were goals

Dislikes:
-The trope dating competition was weak & I wish it had been done away with altogether
-The FMC failing to that extreme wasn't believable to me
-Some of the things the FMC said... like girl... we would not be friends, but I'm glad you're finding love!

All in all, this was a really strong young adult romance! The romance was squee-inducing and I did kick my feet when they had their first (and second) kiss. A fantastic rivals-to-lovers story!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Irene is a bookstagrammer heading off to college. She’ll be away from her family and living on her own, which is scary and difficult. Then there is Aiden, another bookstagrammer who’s going to the same college as Irene. Irene is envious of Aiden’s popularity on booksta and how naturally everything seems to be for Aiden. In Irene’s lit class, she notices that Aiden is in the same class as her. What are the chances. What’s crazier is that the two have to partner up for a class project.

Irene went from seeing Aiden on bookstagram to seeing him often for their class project. They are also competing in a sponsorship for their bookstagram accounts. Irene believes that this sponsorship will get her more recognition on her social media and also impress her parents as they are unsure of bookstagram as a steady job. Aiden would like to win this sponsorship as this is his way of being financially stable since he is on his own. For this sponsorship, the two decide to have a friendly competition of what romantic tropes they can accomplish while going on dates.

While working together, will Irene’s feelings towards Aiden change? Will she understand where he is coming from? Will she stop feeling like their bookstagram accounts are competing against each other?

This was such a fun and easy read! I really enjoyed reading about Irene growing up while she’s in college. I like seeing her independence and learning how to cope with a different life on her own. I also enjoyed reading about her growing friendship with her roommate. This book is such a relatable book for bookstagrammers!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Oh, where do I start? Is it the fact that the entire novel is written in romance tropes or the epigraphs before every chapter (which I adored!)? And can we talk about how exciting it is to finally see online book reviewers being represented in fiction? That representation alone had me hooked.

I loved Aiden and Irene, but I especially loved Aiden. I thought this would have been a lot better if this was told in dual POVs; Aiden's POV would have brought a lot of depth to the already amazing story.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the portrayal of Irene's struggle with college; it just made her character more real. Also, the fact that Irene needed to understand herself more before even being in a relationship with Aiden. That kind of emotional maturity isn't always shown in romance, and I loved that the author went there. And the side characters, OMG!!!

Overall, I loved this book, from the cover to the plot to the storyline and the characters! As the author wrote in the dedication, “This book is a celebration of us, romance readers”—and it absolutely delivered on that promise.

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.